To Love a Stomper
by LadyOfSlytherin101
Summary: Moira wants peace and quiet to write her book. She buys a house thinking it was just a replica of the one from the movie Epic. Little does she know that Leafmen exist and she's caught the eye of a certain General. Thrown into a new world, she faces incredible things. Will she choose to stay with the one who wants her love or will she return to the world of Stompers? Ronin/Oc
1. Chapter 1

_To Love A Stomper_

Prologue

It had been sometime since the defeat of Mandrake and and the crowning of the new Queen. All was peaceful now in Moonhaven and MK and her father professor Bomba were allowed to live among the Jinn and Leafmen. Their house was put up for sale before leaving for their new home in the forest.

MK and Nod spent their days in the forest with Nod showing MK the ways of the forest while Bomba could observe the Leafmen to his hearts content. MK and Nod grew closer everyday and it wasn't unusual to see the two of them together when Nod wasn't on duty.

Ozzie the 3 legged Pug dog of MK and Bomba was unable to come with them and left in the care of the one in charge of the house with the hopes that whoever bought the house would like dogs and keep Ozzie.

Mub the slug and Grub the snail continued to watch over the the pods as they always did. Mub still flirted with MK and Grub still wore his Leafman helmet. Nothing really changed there.

What happened to Ronin you ask? Hold on I'm getting to that. You see while Ronin was happy that Mandrake had been defeated and the new Queen crowned, he couldn't help but feel sad. He had gotten to see Tara one last time before she truly left, leaving a hole in his heart. He had loved her but he had never said anything and now it was too late. He wondered if he would ever love again. He wasn't truly alone, as MK brought him and Nod meals and was always welcome to visit MK and her father.

No it wasn't that he was lacking friends, far from it, it was just that he felt a little jealous of the other Leafmen who had loving wives to greet them when they came home with a nice home-cooked meal waiting and little ones clambering into their arms.

No wife was there to greet him with a smile and a hug and kiss with a meal waiting and no children of his own were there running into his arms happy to see their papa. No, what awaited him was an empty house filled with silence. It was no wonder he spent so much time away from it. It reminded him of what could have been what and he could have had.

There were plenty of women in Moonhaven who would have loved to have been the wife of the famous General Ronin but none of them held his interest. He felt like that there was someone out there waiting for him.

Little did he know that that someone was really out there and she was buying the house at the edge of the forest, both unaware that their lives were about to change forever...


	2. Chapter 2

"Sissy, are we there yet?" A young voice peeped sleepily from the backseat of a car driving down a long road surrounded by trees.

I glanced at my little sister in the rearview mirror and chuckled at the sight of of her messy black curls and still sleepy blue eyes.

"We're almost there sweet pea. Just 10 more minutes so try and stay awake now. Ok?"

"O-" yawn. "K."

I chuckled again and turned my eyes back to the road. We were currently on our way to our new house. A few of my friends questioned my decision to move all the way out to a house in the middle of nowhere, far from any city. I needed a place that was quiet and peaceful so I could write my book in peace. I had other reasons but they weren't important anymore. All that mattered was getting to the house and seeing what needed to be done.

I had come across the house quite by accident. I had been surfing through the internet looking for a remote house or cottage when I had found the one we were now driving to. It was certainly remote with a beautiful forest next to it. But what really caught my attention was the house itself. It was beautiful, needed some work, and looked exactly like the house from Epic. Apparently the owner before must have been a huge fan of the movie because the house was built exactly like it. Rose or Rosie, my little sister saw the house and became very excited. She liked the house and so did I and it was fairly cheap. So I bought it.

2 weeks later we packed up our apartment and headed out for the house. Our parents were constantly on business trips and rather than leaving Rosie with a nanny I became her guardian. I was pretty much the only mother she ever knew as ours was too busy to come home. So they really didn't care that I moved with Rosie to the middle of nowhere.

10 minutes later we pulled up in front of the house and Rosie was eager to get out. I didn't blame her as it had been a long drive. I got out of the car and went to the back to let her out. She nearly fell out in her excitement and thankfully I caught her before placing the squirming bundle of arms and legs down and watching as she shot off to explore.

"Don't go too far into the forest Rosie! We'll go explore later after we get the house in order!" I yelled after her, knowing full well that she could hear me.

I went towards the house admiring the details. Someone must have really liked the movie to put this much detail into the house. Wonder if the same could be said for the inside.

A dog barking brought me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see a one eyed, three legged Pug dog running towards me barking happily. I got down on my knees to greet the little thing only to have the dog miss me by a few feet. The dog skidded to a stop and seemingly confused before turning around again and running at me again, this time managing to jump into my arms and proceeded to cover my face with kisses.

I laughed and rubbed the dog's head. It was quite adorable really. It looked a lot like Ozzie and I wouldn't have been surprised if the dog was named Ozzie.

"Ozzie come back here!" An elderly voice called from inside the house. I looked up and watched as this little old lady hobbled out. Looks like I had been right about the dog being called Ozzie.

I stood up and began walking towards her with Ozzie bouncing around my feet.

"Hello dearie! Are you here for the house?"

"Yes ma'am I am! And you are?"

"I'm Mrs. Gruen the housekeeper if you'd like to keep me on." She said with a smile.

"Housekeeper?"

"Yes, I was hired by the previous owner to keep the house after he left. And you don't have to worry about my salary my dear. All I ask is a place to sleep, a kitchen to cook in and young ones to look after."

I considered it for a few moments. She was certainly kind and I would need help around the house and with Rosie while I was working on my book. And she seemed lonely.

"What about your family?" I asked watching her reaction.

Her face fell into lines of sadness and I immediately felt bad about bringing the topic up.

"I had a family once child. A husband but no children. He was lost at sea, my George. He was a good man. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him." She said sadly.

I could tell from her face and the sound of her voice when she spoke of him that they had that true and special love that was rare nowadays. I envied her of that. I wish I could find a man that would love me as much as I loved him on the same level as the love she shared with her George.

I reached forward and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"You are welcome here as long as you wish. I will certainly enjoy the company as I am sure my sister will benefit from you being here."

She looked up at me her eyes shining with gratitude and hope. "You have a sister?"

"Yes and only 4 years old. She never knew our parents as they are always travelling and I am sure she would love the attention."

"Oh you poor child! Where is this sweet little lamb?"

"She's out exploring near the forest. I'll call her."

Mrs. Gruen grabbed my arm. "Be wary child! Do not let her wander too far in lest she wanders into the Rot! Beware the Boggans!"

I wanted to laugh and assure her that it was nothing more than a story but something in her eyes made me stop and wonder.

Surely the Leafmen and Boggans were nothing more than a story, right...?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: When Leafman sees Stomper Girl

Rosie and I settled into the house fairly quickly with the help of Mrs. Gruen. Rosie was already taken with Mrs. Gruen and the attention she received. In turn, Mrs. Gruen adored Rosie and took her quickly into her heart as the grandchild she never had. More often than not you could find the two of them together either in the kitchen making some tasty treat or outside working on putting in a garden.

While they did that, I saw to any repairs the house needed among other things. I had a couple of friends that ran a repair business so I picked up quite a lot from them. I took care of all the painting that needed to be done, although Rosie was adamant about picking out her paint colors for her room. Soon the house looked even better than ever and it began to have a really cozy and homey feel to it.

Once all that was done, sat in my newly renovated study and worked on my book. But if the days were nice I sat outside and worked there. I usually sat on the porch so I could keep an eye on Rosie as she played with Ozzie when Mrs. Gruen needed to relax.

Ozzie had become a much welcomed member of our little family. He was always underfoot and running around happily after Rosie as she played outside. Rosie had never been the type of little girl to sit inside and play tea party. She preferred to run around outside and explore. While most little girls hated getting dirty, Rosie loved crawling around in the grass and digging in the dirt. Most days she would be rolling around outside and dodging behind things. When I asked her what she was doing she would say she was pretending to be a Leafman and was hiding from the Boggans. I laughed at her imagination and let her have her fun.

A few weeks passed by like this in peace and quiet. We had yet to explore the forest, but for the moment Rosie was content with her rolling around in the yard and working in the garden. It was a simple life really, one we all enjoyed very much. I should've known that there was more going on that we were aware of.

* * *

Ronin POV

A few weeks ago, I had received a report from one of Leafmen in my division that the house where M.K. and her father used to live was now occupied by a new group of Stompers. From what he said, they were all women: an elderly woman, a young woman maybe just about out of her teens, and a young child. I would've gone at once to investigate, but I had been so busy with training new recruits to replace the ones we had lost in the battle with Mandrake and the Boggans that I simply didn't have the time.

Thankfully today was Finn's turn to train the recruits, leaving me the day to go and finally investigate these new Stompers and to see if they were any threat to us. I had also promised M.K. to see if the new Stompers were treating Ozzie well. The Leafman had said that Ozzie looked well but M.K. wouldn't quit worrying until I confirmed it myself.

So I mounted my hummingbird and took off towards the house. The Queen had made it possible for Leafmen to understand what Stompers said without the slowed down effect on their voices. It now sounded like they were talking at a normal speed, but we were still faster than them. So it proved to be an advantage for us.

Soon I arrived at the house and made my bird land in a branch in a tree where I would have better view of the house. It was quiet; were they not home? My question was quickly answered as a small child burst out of the house with Ozzie close on her heels. I watched in amusement as she rolled around in the grass laughing as Ozzie barked in excitement. She rolled over onto her stomach and went completely still, not an easy feat for someone her size and age.

She suddenly started rolling on the ground till she was hidden behind a bush and her eyes peeking over the top. I watched curiosity as she picked up a stick before leaping out of the bush with a battle cry, fighting off invisible foes. I had to chuckle at the sight. She reminded me of Nod when he was that age.

My eyes were drawn to the house when I heard the door open and I felt my breath catch in my throat. The woman who stepped out was beautiful. Her thick hair was as black as the night and eyes green like fresh young leaves. Her cheeks were flushed a mesmerizing rosy color that seemed to enhance her fair skin. Her hair had been placed in a messy bun with a few strands falling out, framing her face while flecks of paint covered her clothes and hands. Even so she was a vision of loveliness. Her voice was soft and sweet and I longed to hear it again, only I wanted to hear when she spoke to me.

The slam of the door shook me out of my love-struck stupor and brought sense back to me. I was a seasoned general not a young boy experiencing his first crush! I wasn't one to fall immediately for a pretty face and yet there was something about her that just drew me in. Besides she was a Stomper! I urged my bird to take off into the air and made for home.

I gave my report, took care of my bird, and then went home. I cleaned myself up and made a simple meal. I was tired and yet when I laid myself down to sleep, my thoughts returned to the lovely Stomper I had seen that afternoon.

She's a Stomper, I had to remember that.

_M.K. was a Stomper. That didn't stop Nod…._ My inner voice remarked slyly.

I heaved a sigh of frustration and tried to block those thoughts out. Tonight was gonna be a very _long_ night….


End file.
